Multi-sensory based notifications for financial planning

Abstract

Generating a sensory notification for a user of an electronic computing device includes receiving an indication at the electronic computing device that a trigger for an alert has occurred. The trigger is related to an occurrence of a trigger condition. The sensory notification associated with the trigger condition is identified. A determination is made as to whether the user is near the electronic computing device. When the indication is received that the trigger for the alert has occurred and when a determination is made that the user is near the electronic computing device, a scent corresponding to the sensory notification is caused to emanate from the electronic computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method implemented on an electronic computing device for generating a sensory notification for a user of the electronic computing device, the method comprising:
 receiving at the electronic computing device a first indication that a first trigger for a first alert has occurred, the first trigger related to an occurrence of a first trigger condition related to a financial health of a user; 
 identify a first scent that is mapped to the occurrence of the first trigger condition, the first scent being one of a plurality of scents available on the electronic computing device, each of the plurality of scents being mapped to one of a plurality of trigger conditions; 
 determining whether the user is near the electronic computing device; 
 when the first indication is received that the first trigger for the first alert has occurred and when a determination is made that the user is near the electronic computing device, activating the first scent on the electronic computing device, the activating of the first scent on the electronic computing device causing the first scent to emanate from the electronic computing device; 
 receive on the electronic computing device a second indication that a second trigger condition for a second alert has occurred, the second trigger condition being different than the first trigger condition, the second trigger condition being mapped to a second scent that is different than the first scent, the second scent being one of the plurality of scents available on the electronic computing device; and 
 when the second indication is received that the second trigger for the second alert has occurred and when a determination is made that the user is near the electronic computing device, activating the second scent on the electronic computing device, the activating of the second scent on the electronic computing device causing the second scent to emanate from the electronic computing device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of trigger conditions is mapped to a corresponding scent. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensory notification comprises a pleasant scent when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition corresponds to positive progress towards a goal and an unpleasant scent when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition corresponds to negative progress away from the goal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein an intensity of the pleasant scent is based on an amount of positive progress towards the goal and an intensity of the unpleasant scent is based on an amount of negative progress away from the goal. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first trigger and the second trigger are generated on a server computer and sent to the electronic computing device. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first trigger and the second trigger are generated on the electronic computing device based on an occurrence of a trigger condition that is detected on the electronic computing device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first trigger and the second trigger are activated at a specified geographical location of the user. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is near the electronic computing device further comprises determining whether motion and light can be detected near the electronic computing device, and not causing a scent to emanate from the electronic computing device unless a determination is made that motion and light can be detected near the electronic computing device. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining by the electronic computing device when a quantity of scent remaining in a scent delivery mechanism is below a predetermined threshold; and 
 when a determination is made that the quantity of scent remaining in the scent delivery mechanism is below the predetermined threshold, generating a third alert that the quantity of scent is low. 
 
     
     
       10. An electronic computing device configured to generate a sensory notification for a user of the electronic computing device comprising:
 a processing unit; 
 and 
 a scent producing component, 
 wherein the processing unit is configured to:
 receive at the electronic computing device a first indication that a first trigger for a first alert has occurred, the first trigger related to an occurrence of a first trigger condition, the first trigger condition related to a financial health of the user; 
 identify a first scent that is mapped to the occurrence of the first trigger condition, the first scent being one of a plurality of scents available on the scent producing component, each of the plurality of scents being mapped to one of a plurality of trigger conditions; 
 determine whether motion and light can be detected near the electronic computing device; 
 when the first indication is received that the first trigger for the first alert has occurred and when a determination is made that motion and light are detected near the electronic computing device, activate the first scent on the scent producing component, the activating of the first scent causing the first scent to emanate from the electronic computing device; 
 receive on the electronic computing device a second indication that a second trigger for a second alert has occurred, the second trigger being related to an occurrence of a second trigger condition, the second trigger condition being different than the first trigger condition, the second trigger being mapped to a second scent that is different than the first scent, the second scent being one of the plurality of scents available on the scent producing component; and 
 when the second indication is received that the second trigger condition for the second alert has occurred and when a determination is made that motion and light are detected near the electronic computing device, activate the second scent on the scent producing component, the activating of the second scent causing the second scent to emanate from the electronic computing device. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the electronic computing device comprises a mobile electronic device that includes the scent producing component. 
     
     
       12. The electronic computing device of  claim 11 , wherein the scent producing component is included in a housing attached to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       13. The electronic computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the scent producing component can produce a plurality of scents. 
     
     
       14. The electronic computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the scent producing component can combine scents to produce a distinct scent different from any of the plurality of scents. 
     
     
       15. The electronic computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the scent producing component produces a pleasant scent when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition corresponds to positive progress towards a goal and an unpleasant scent when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition corresponds to negative progress away from the goal. 
     
     
       16. The electronic computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the electronic computing device receives the first trigger condition and the second trigger condition via a wireless communication interface. 
     
     
       17. The electronic computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the scent producing component comprises an aerosol cartridge. 
     
     
       18. The electronic computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the scent producing component comprises a sponge that has been saturated with liquid scent. 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage memory comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing unit of an electronic computing device, cause the processing unit to:
 receive at the electronic computing device a first indication that a first trigger for a first alert has occurred, the first trigger related to an occurrence of a first trigger condition, the first trigger condition related to a financial health of a user; 
 identify a first scent that is mapped to the occurrence of the first trigger condition, the first scent being one of a plurality of scents available on the electronic computing device, each of the one of the plurality of scents being mapped to one of a plurality of trigger conditions; 
 determine whether motion and light can be detected near the electronic computing device; 
 when the first indication is received that the first trigger for the first alert has occurred and when a determination is made that motion and light are detected near the electronic computing device, activate the first scent on the electronic computing device, the activating of the first scent causing the first scent to emanate from the electronic computing device; 
 receive on the electronic computing device a second indication that a second trigger for a second alert has occurred, the second trigger related to an occurrence of a second trigger condition, the second trigger condition being different than the first trigger condition, the second trigger being mapped to a second scent that is different than the first scent, the second scent being one of the plurality of scents available on the electronic computing device; and 
 when the second indication is received that the second trigger for the second alert has occurred and when a determination is made that motion and light are detected near the electronic computing device, activate the second scent on the electronic computing device, the activating of the second scent causing the second scent to emanate from the electronic computing device.